The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of apple tree named xe2x80x98Nevsonxe2x80x99 and more particularly to an apple tree which bears an attractive predominantly red and yellow-skinned apple which has a crisp, fine grained texture, and a well balanced flavor.
It has long been recognized that an important factor contributing to the success of any variety of apple tree bearing fruit for the fresh market is its respective date of harvesting in relative comparison to other varieties bearing similar fruit in the same season. The new variety xe2x80x98Nevsonxe2x80x99 is noteworthy, as noted above, in producing an attractively colored fruit which is ripe for harvesting and shipment at approximately the same time as the xe2x80x98Galaxe2x80x99 apple cultivar under the same ecological conditions prevailing in the Columbia Basin area of south central Washington State.
The new and distinct variety of apple tree (xe2x80x98Malus Pumila Millxe2x80x99) was a controlled cross-pollination in 1979 of a xe2x80x98Galaxe2x80x99 (xe2x80x98Kidd""s D8xe2x80x99 U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,637) and xe2x80x98Red Deliciousxe2x80x99 (xe2x80x98Hawkes Bay Redxe2x80x99xe2x80x94not patented) then growing on the inventor""s property which is located near Alexandra, New Zealand. The inventor noted the promising characteristics of this new xe2x80x98Galaxe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98Red Deliciousxe2x80x99 cross, and in 1986, removed bud wood of the new seedling and grafted it into test trees then growing on the same property. These test trees have been subsequently studied and it has been determined that the same desirable characteristics observed in the original seedling were expressed in the test trees. Additionally, the fruit produced from these trees has been compared and contrasted with the fruit produced from the original seedling, and it has been confirmed that this asexual propagation resulted in an apple tree being produced which possesses the same distinctive characteristics as the original controlled cross pollinated seedling.
The xe2x80x98Nevsonxe2x80x99 apple tree is characterized principally as to novelty by producing an attractively colored fruit which is ripe for harvesting and shipment approximately 10 September through 1 October under the ecological conditions prevailing in the Columbia Basin area of central Washington. This date of harvesting is approximately the same as the xe2x80x98Galaxe2x80x99 cultivar growing at the same location. The present variety is easily distinguishable from the fruit produced by the xe2x80x98Red Deliciousxe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98Galaxe2x80x99 cultivars that are its parents, in that, it has a unique elongated shape and attractive coloring.